Report your identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission right away while going through the process of how to report identity theft. The FTC's Identity Theft Report can be used to prove you are a victim of identity theft to all the entities you will need to contact. You can file a report online or call 877.438.4338. When to Report Identity Theft If you believe someone is using your personal information to open accounts, get a tax refund, receive medical care, or make purchases, you should report identity theft Contact your health insurance company and explain what happened. File a police report and get a copy of the report. Visit IdentityTheft.gov from the Federal Trade Commission to file a report and create a personalized plan for recovery. Keep track of all correspondence related to the identity theft, including letters, emails, and phone calls. The police officer who takes your report should attach a copy of the FTC report. If the police are reluctant to help you file an identity theft report, ask to file a "miscellaneous incident" report instead, or get in touch with your local attorney general's office for further guidance. 3. Report Identity Theft to the Credit Bureaus Protecting yourself from identity theft Identity theft is a serious crime that happens when someone uses your personal information without your consent to commit Medicare fraud or other crimes. Use the following tips to protect yourself from becoming an identity theft victim. Do: Protect your Medicare Number and your Social Security Number. Federal Trade Commission | Protecting America's Consumers Step 1: Contact the host of the account fraud alert If you know that access to a specific account was stolen, the first step is to contact the company you have the account with and report identity theft. This can mean calling your bank, your credit card company, or any other account host that could have compromised information. When medical identity theft targets insurance providers or government programs, the resulting costs may be borne by the larger population—through higher insurance costs or increased taxes. Even more worrisome than the possible financial cost of medical identity theft is the potential risk it poses of mingling an identity thief's health Medical Identity Theft: Stealing another person's health insurance information so that someone who is not the insured can fraudulently use the insured's benefits to get discounted health care Medical identity theft can also affect beneficiaries' medical and health insurance records. Every time a scammer uses a beneficiary's identity to receive or bill for care/supplies, a record is created with incorrect medical information about them. Report potential medical identity theft from fraud, errors, or abuse if: You gave out your For Medicare, Medicaid, and other HHS programs - visit Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Inspector General website to submit a complaint or call 800-447-8477. Step 3: Report Reporting any type of cybercrime, including medical identity theft, is imperative to help others avoid being scammed. Preventing Medical Identity Theft. Medical identity theft—defined as use of a patient's personally identifiable information to obtain medical treatment, services, or goods—has the potential to be life-threatening to its victims. When someone records incorrect information in a patient's medical records or creates fictitious record